Beit Iba, Sun 11.1.09, Afternoon
15:15
I suppose that it is important for us to continue to go to Beit Iba, to put in an appearance. It's important that the soldiers see that we are coming regularly, making notes and reporting. But really, is there anything to report?
The checkpoint was very quiet. During the time we were there perhaps 10 people came from Nablus, and the same number, approximately went into the city. The soldiers were polite and spoke with us. One of them said, "It's always quiet here," and smiled. A few cars went into the city without being checked; a few cars and taxis came out of the city and were checked, but all was moving smoothly.
It was pouring rain all the time we were there. The pedestrian path to go into Nablus was completely flooded, a small river; it was very difficult for those going into the city.
We heard from a Palestinian that during the current war in Gaza the West Bank is very quiet. He said the people want to demonstrate their solidarity with Gaza, but the Palestinian Authority is keeping everyone quiet. People don't dare to demonstrate. He didn't give any more details.
Beit Iba
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A perimeter checkpoint west of the city of Nablus. Operated from 2001 to 2009 as one of the four permanent checkpoints closing on Nablus: Beit Furik and Awarta to the east and Hawara to the south. A pedestrian-only checkpoint, where MachsomWatch volunteers were present daily for several hours in the morning and afternoon to document the thousands of Palestinians waiting for hours in long queues with no shelter in the heat or rain, to leave the district city for anywhere else in the West Bank. From March 2009, as part of the easing of the Palestinian movement in the West Bank, it was abolished, without a trace, and without any adverse change in the security situation.
Jun-4-2014Beit-Iba checkpoint 22.04.04
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